Birthday Surprise
by Safaia Bara
Summary: It's Ash's birthday! And what better way to celebrate than with a party? Especially with a few extra guests... ?Shipping. COMPLETE


Hello! I've been wanting to write this for a while, and it's finally finished. There is shipping in here, but I'm not going to spoil the surprise. Also, this story basically derails EVERYTHING that happened after Sinnoh. I stopped watching about halfway through D&P, so the only real reason Dawn is in this is to fill in a plot hole. I don't dislike her, but she's not my favorite character either.

Hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon. The characters and story are the property of Satoshi Tajiri, Nintendo, Creatures, Inc., and Game Freak.

* * *

Birthday Surprise

He was home. After spending months away in the Sinnoh Region, Ash Ketchum was finally back in Pallet Town, in his own house, in his room.

It was getting late and Ash was exhausted. He'd spent the day with his Pokemon at Professor Oak's Laboratory, then his mother had made his favorite meal. He was stuffed, and tired, and extremely happy.

His faithful partner was laying in bed next to him, "Hey, Pikachu?"

"Pi?"

"What do you think about taking a break?"

"Pika?" the Mouse Pokemon sat up and looked at its trainer, "Pika Pi?"

Ash was still staring up at the ceiling, "It's been a long time since we've spent more than a couple of weeks here before going off on our next journey. The last time was while we were training for the Indigo Plateau Conference a few years back, and that was only for a couple of months.

"Plus, it's the middle of autumn, and I really don't want to travel in the snow. I don't want a repeat of what happened in the mountains.

"Besides, I know Mom would be happy if we stayed for a little while. What do you think?"

Pikachu thought for a moment before nodding, "Chu." If Ash wanted to have a little vacation, who was he to say no. Besides, it would give him more time to play with his trainer and other comrades.

Ash looked at the Electric Mouse Pokemon and smiled, "Good."

The months crept by slowly, autumn turned to winter, with spring close behind. Ash slowly began spending more and more time somewhere outside of Pallet Town, though he never gave anyone an actual location. It worried Delia a little bit, not knowing where her son went so often. But after a month of coaxing, she was finally able to weasel it out of him. The look of shock, joy, and astonishment on her face made Ash feel both amused and slightly embarrassed.

Delia's shock soon turned to pride as Ash became even closer with his Pokemon. It was as if he and Pikachu were of one mind at times.

Finally, it was towards the end of May that Ash had cause for celebration:

It was almost his birthday.

His fifteenth birthday.

Ash knew his mother had something planned, she always did. He'd catch her whispering on the phone, or sending a smile his way for no reason at all.

* * *

The morning of his big day, Ash and Pikachu awoke to a large crash from downstairs. Leaping out of bed, and nearly landing on his face as his feet got tangled in the sheets, he raced down the steps two at a time, Pikachu clinging to his shoulder for dear life. He skidded to a stop at the entryway to the kitchen. It was difficult for the black-haired boy to hide his laughter. Pikachu didn't even try.

"Mr. Mime, this is all your fault!"

"Mime mime, Mr. Mime!"

"I don't care! I told you not to touch the pan! Now I have to start everything over from scratch!"

The hilarity of the situation greatly outweighed the surprise of seeing his old friend. Ash clutched his sides and fell onto his rump, laughing hysterically, "He-hey, Brock…That's…that's a good...a good look for you! Hahaha!" he choked out.

The former Pewter City Gym Leader stood in the center of Ash's kitchen, hands on his hips, covered head to toe in what looked like chocolate cake batter. Standing nearby, arms crossed, and also covered in batter, was Mimey. A metal cake pan had fallen to the floor between them, obviously the cause of the noise.

Brock couldn't help but grin at his friend, even with cake batter all over his face.

"Hey, Ash. It's been a while. Happy Birthday."

The younger man took a few deep breaths to help him calm down as he crawled up onto the closest chair. Pikachu climbed into his lap and began licking some of the excess batter that had landed on the table.

"Thanks."

"How are ya?"

"I'm…doing good. Been training a lot lately."

"Yeah, your mom mentioned that," he said, a smirk on his lips. As he spoke, both he and Mr. Mime reached down and grabbed an edge of the pan. Another tug-of-war ensued, ending only when the metal sheet was snatched away by none other than Delia Ketchum, "Maybe I should finish baking the cake. Mimey, could you clean up this mess, please?"

"Mr. Mime."

"And, Brock? Why don't you and Ash head over to Professor Oak's lab? I'm sure Ash wants to spend time with his Pokemon on his birthday." She glided across the room and gently kissed her son on the crown of his head, "Happy birthday, Sweetie."

"Thanks, Mom."

* * *

Half an hour later found the two young men meandering down Pallet Town's main road towards the famed Oak Laboratory. Pikachu rested atop its trainer's head to get a better view of its surroundings.

"So, I heard from Tracey that you've been doing some intense training since we left Sinnoh."

"Yeah, it's been pretty tough…wait, when did you talk to Tracey?"

Brock grinned, "I've been hiding out at Professor Oak's for the last couple of days, helping plan for today," Not wanting to get off topic, he added, "So, what kind of training have you been doing?"

Ash rubbed the back of his neck, "Well, it's kinda hard to explain. What did Tracey say, exactly?"

"Not much," Brock answered, cupping his chin as he spoke, "He just said that you've been flying off with Pidgeot and secretly training with your Pokemon."

"Huh…he noticed that much," the fifteen-year-old muttered to himself. A grin formed on his lips, "How about I show you what I've been up to?"

Brock smirked back, "I like that plan." The two young men raced up the hill to Professor Oak's lab, with Pikachu taking the lead. As soon as they reached the top, Ash skillfully hopped the wooden fence with a practiced ease. Brock followed, using the gate instead.

Wandering around back, they found Tracey feeding a few of the grass-type Pokemon that resided on the ranch.

"Mornin' everybody!" Ash called, waving a hand over his head.

Tracey responded with a smile, "Good morning, Ash. Happy birthday."

"Thanks, Tracey."

Two of the grass Pokemon that were being fed abandoned their food immediately and raced over to Ash, knocking him to the ground.

"Hey, Bulbusaur, Bayleef! It's good to see you, too," he huffed, trying to catch his breath as he sat up. The Bulb Pokemon stayed seated comfortably in his lap, while Bayleef leaned over and nuzzled Ash's cheek affectionately.

All the commotion caught the attention of a slew of other Pokemon- specifically, Ash's Pokemon. All of them rushed forward, jostling each other to get closer to their trainer. A few of the more persistent ones, namely Donphan, Glalie, and Muk, easily muscled their way to the front of the group and knocked Ash to the ground a second time. He laughed between his gasps for air.

"Hey, guys. Wh-what's up?" Ash's laughter seemed to be contagious; both Brock and Tracey started chuckling as he finally managed to wiggle his way out of the pile of Pokemon.

The group settled down after a few minutes while Ash caught his breath.

The youngest boy grinned at his friends, " So, about that battle...wanna try something a little different?"

"What did you have in mind?"

"Why don't we mix it up a bit? Let's have a two-on-two, double battle?"

Brock and Tracey looked at him quizzically, heads tilted to the side.

"What?"

Ash grinned cheekily, "I'll battle with the two of you at the same time. I'll use two Pokemon while you each use one, like a tag battle."

The older boys shared an unsure glance.

"Are you sure, Ash? That sounds a little unfair to me," Tracey asked.

The onyx haired boy smirked, "Don't worry. I'll go easy on you."

Tracey and Brock chuckled.

"Confident, Ash?" Brock asked.

"Maybe just a little. You guys prepared to lose?"

The Gym Leader gave him a playful glare, "Now he's just being cocky. I think we need to knock him down a peg."

"I agree with you, Brock. But who's going to referee the match?"

"I'll do it," a new, somewhat nasally voice spoke up from behind them.

"Gary?"

"Happy birthday, Ashy-boy." The brunet grinned as he sauntered down the hillside, his grandfather not far behind.

Once they reached the others, Gary and Ash greeted each other with a handshake and a smile.

"So, what's this I hear about a battle?" Samuel Oak asked with a sly smirk. He knew about Ash's secret training and was looking forward to seeing his progress.

"Oh, I'm just going to beat Brock and Tracey at the same time," Ash answered with a cocky grin.

"Or so he thinks."

"Misty? And May? Max? And Dawn?! Did my mom invite everyone I've ever met?"

Once all of the greetings and introductions were out of the way, Ash stood about twenty yards away from Brock and Tracey.

"Go Marshtomp!"

"You're up, Scyther!"

"Okay, then! Bulbasaur, Donphan, let's go!"

"Trainers ready?" Gary called out in a clear voice, "Battle begin!"

Brock looked at Tracey quickly, "I'll go after Donphan while you take care of Bulbasaur," he muttered low enough for Ash not to hear.

"Sounds like a plan," Tracey agreed, "Scyther! Use Slash on Bulbasaur!"

"Marshtomp, Water Gun on Donphan!"

"Donphan, Defense Curl, then Rollout Attack to stop Marshtomp! Bulbasaur, you use Razor Leaf to block Scyther!"

Donphan quickly tucked its body into a tight ball and started spinning in place. It glowed a bright white for a moment and Marshtomp's attack seemed to bounce off of it easily.

At the same time, Bulbasaur created a wall of leaves that Scyther was unable to cut through- the more it cut, the more leaves Bulbasaur threw out.

"Great job, guys. Now, Bulbasaur, Razor Leaf on Marshtomp and Donphan, hit Scyther with a Tackle!"

"Scyther, fly up and out of the way!" The Scythe Pokemon was just barely able to dodge the attack. It land on the grass about five or so feet away.

"Mud Shot!" Marshtomp matched Bulbasaur leaf for leaf, causing an explosion in the center of the field.

While the ground was still invisible through the layers of kicked up dust, Ash lowered his hat to cover his eyes and smirked.

"Now let's have some fun!" he chuckled quietly to himself, _'Bulbasaur, use your vines to jump out of the way while Donphan, you use Earthquake.'_

In an instant, Bulbasaur was flying high above the debris littering the field. What sounded like a crash of thunder echoed throughout the entire ranch, and possibly further, and the ground shook with enough force to knock anyone standing to the dirt.

When the dust cleared, the only ones left standing were Donphan, Bulbasaur, and Ash. The young trainer had a look of triumph on his face as he stood with his arms crossed.

"Was that an Earthquake?" Misty asked, rubbing her sore backside.

Gary shook his head in disbelief, "Yeah, it was. But Ash didn't call out a command...and he didn't tell Bulbasaur to jump out of the way, either. So how..."

As Tracey, Brock, and their respective Pokemon unsteadily rose to their feet, the former Gym Leader chuckled.

"Wow, Ash, I'm impressed. You must have been training hard to get this far," he said, arching a brow.

Ash chuckled nervously, "Uh, thanks."

Brock smirked, "But this is as far as you go. Marshtomp, Water Gun!"

Following Brock's lead, Tracey called out, "Scyther, Swords Dance!"

 _'Bulbasaur, tie them both up with a Leech Seed.'_

Just as the other two Pokemon were preparing to attack, the grass-type shot two seeds out of the bulb on its back simultaneously. They easily hit their targets, wrapping Scyther and Marshtomp in thick, sturdy vines, leaving them powerless. Both Pokemon fell to the ground in a heap, Leech Seed sapping their energy.

The spectators looked on in awe. Dawn was the first to pick her jaw up off the ground.

"When did Ash tell Bulbasaur to use Leach Seed?"

No one could answer.

 _'It's time to end this. Donphan, attack with Hyper Beam. Bulbasaur, use your Solarbeam. Go.'_

Both Pokemon nodded once in affirmation, confusing all spectators.

Within moments, Bulbasaur started filling its bulb with sunlight and Donphan opened its maw wide as a bright golden ball of energy formed in its mouth.

Trapped in the vines, neither Marshtomp nor Scyther were able to avoid the double attack.

White and golden beams of energy swirled around each other as they shot towards the helpless Pokemon at light-shattering speeds. An ear-splitting explosion followed, kicking up a cloud of debris. When the smoke cleared, the two opposing Pokemon lay motionless on the ground, swirls in their eyes.

Silence filled the field. Ash crouched down and called his Pokemon back to him, "Awesome job guys."

Bulbasaur and Donphan ran back to their trainer with huge, proud grins on their faces.

"Ash, how...how did you do that?" Misty cried.

Ash looked over to respond, then froze. His audience had grown exponentially during the match without his knowledge. People he never expected to see again. Professors Birch and Elm were there, along with Ritchie.

And Scott.

"Well, Ash, you've grown a lot since last we saw each other. Very impressive."

"Uh...thanks, Scott."

"You must've been training pretty hard," he said in a "I-know-your-secret" tone. Ash chuckled nervously and scratched the back of his head before joining the others at the refreshment table.

After an hour of mingling and laughing, Ash found himself spacing out near the fence separating Oak's ranch from the forest. Resting his arms atop a post, he stared out through the trees to the west and sighed. There was a tug at his pant leg.

"Pika?" Standing behind him were Pikachu, Donphan, and Bulbasaur, all three were looking at him with concern. He smiled back.

"I'm fine, guys. Really. I just wish...I should have at least told her it was my birthday. I miss her." Just thinking of her made him smile.

"Hey, Ash! Time for presents!" Tracey called.

The black-haired trainer's small smile widened as he turned back towards the crowd waiting for him. He hadn't taken two steps before he heard a loud caw behind him. Spinning back around, he saw a large bird-like Pokemon burst out of the tree line, speeding toward them at a breakneck pace.

"What in the-"

Ash's heart started beating harder in his chest the closer it came. He gulped audibly when he realized that it was his Pidgeot flying towards them. And on its back was...

"Ash, who's that?" Misty questioned. She, May, Dawn, Max, Tracey, Gary, and Brock had sidled up behind him. Brock had his arms crossed over his chest, a knowing glint in his eyes.

"Erm..." Before he could respond, a gust of wind blew at his back and he reflexively spun around, only to come face to face with a pair of angry lavender eyes.

"Ash Ketchum! Why didn't you tell me it was your birthday?!"

"I-I didn't think of it!" he stuttered, putting his hands out in front of him defensively, "There's been so much going on with us lately, it sorta slipped my mind..."

Trying to diffuse the tension, Brock took a step forward, "It's been a long time. Good to see you, Anabel."

Anabel turned to the rest of the group and smiled, "You too, Brock. Hello May, Max."

"Anabel!"

Dawn whispered to Misty, "Who's Anabel?" The redhead just shrugged in response.

Ash answered, "Anabel is a Frontier Brain. She lives over by Tohjo Falls. She and I have been...uh...training together."

Brock have him another knowing smirk.

Anabel bowed politely and smiled, "It's nice to meet all of you," she suddenly rounded back on Ash, "But still, come on, Ash. I feel so stupid being here without a gift. Brock sent Pidgeot to me yesterday, it didn't give me much time to get ready- especially since I had a challenger this morning," she grinned, "whom I beat."

Ash smiled back, "I'm not surprised. But, Anabel, you being here is the best gift you could give me." Forgetting that they had an audience, Ash wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. The girl with lavender hair fisted her hands in the front of his shirt and leaned in until they were a hair's breath away. He easily closed the gap and pressed his lips to hers.

A stunned silence fell over the crowd, no one able to really process what they were seeing.

Ash was kissing a girl. Ash, their Ash, brash, childish, carefree Ash Ketchum was kissing a girl!

One person's enthusiastic clapping broke the silence. The couple pulled away, blushing furiously.

"Mom!"

"What? My little boy is growing up. As your mother I have the right to be excited."

Ash rubbed the back of his neck, while Anabel just grinned and held out her hand.

"Nice to meet you Mrs. Ketchum." Deliah waved her hand away and pulled her in for a hug.

"It's lovely to meet you, dear."

"Wait, wait, wait. Ash has a...a girlfriend," Misty squeaked.

Ash smirked, "That's right."

"No. Way." May said quietly.

Misty, May, and Dawn all ran forward, Pokeballs in hand.

"We challenge you, Anabel"

Ash went pale, "What? Why?"

Dawn winked at Ash, "Ash, we don't know her. We need to make sure she's up to par."

Misty looked at Ash, "I told you before. We're like family. I need to keep an eye on my little brother," she grinned.

Ash crossed his arms and huffed indignantly, "But that's not your call."

Anabel put a hand on his bicep and smirked wickedly, "What's the matter, Ash? Don't think I can handle them?"

Ash blushed, "I didn't say that. I just don't see the point."

Without missing a beat, Anabel's eyes narrowed as she looked at the three girls and grinned, "I accept."

A few minutes later, Anabel was standing in Ash's place, while Dawn, Misty, and May stood on the other side of the field.

"Be careful, girls. Anabel knows how to read a Pokemon's heart. That's how Ash was able to call out commands telepathically. He must have learned it from her during their training," May warned. The other two nodded, and Dawn stepped forward first.

"Piplup! Spotlight!"

"Let's do this! Go, my friend!" Out of Anabel's Pokeball came a human-shaped Pokemon holding two spoons in its three-fingered hands.

Off to the side, the spectators watched in awe.

"Well, that Alakazam looks very well trained," Professor Oak commented. His grandson nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, it takes a strong trainer to handle psychic type Pokemon."

"All of Anabel's Pokemon are psychic types. And they're all really powerful, too. It took Ash two tries to beat Anabel the first time," Max interjected.

A few feet away, Brock had an arm wrapped around Ash's neck. He grinned cheekily, "So Ash, how long have you and Anabel been together?"

"Well, we've been training for about six months," Brock gave him a pointed look, "but I'm guessing that's not what you're talking about...we've been dating for about a month." The words felt strange on his tongue, but a good strange.

"How?"

"Well, we had just finished an intense training session. I heard her mention in passing the idea of listening to the heart of a human, so...I gave it a shot. On Anabel. Obviously, it came as a shock to find out that she has feelings for me. Has for a while.

"I didn't say anything about it for a few days. Kinda in shock, ya know?" he chuckled, "Plus I needed to sort out my own feelings. It took nearly a week for me to sort my thoughts.

"I think it would've been easier if she'd known I'd done it in the first place. Trying to tell her about it was harder than I expected."

"So, how did you do it?" Brock pressed. Tracey and Gary were listening as well.

As rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment, "Actually, we were in a mock battle, and I won. We met in the middle of the field and she asked what I wanted for my victory. We do that a lot. Normally, it would be like lunch or a rematch, where we switch Pokemon with each other, or something like that.

"I...um...I asked for a kiss." There was a short silence before the brunet burst out laughing.

"Only you, Ashy-boy. Only you," Gary sniggered and shook his head.

The conversation was cut short as Dawn called out her first attack.

"Piplup, Hydro Pump!"

"Psybeam!"

The two attacks collided in midair, creating a massive explosion. Wind whipped at her clothes, as Dawn held up an arm to shield her face from the dust. When the cloud cleared, Anabel looked unfazed, arms crossed in front of her. Upon closer inspection, Alakazam's spoons were crossed in front of it, its body surrounded by a blue force field that blocked the attack from reaching it or its trainer. Reflect.

"Whirlpool!"

"Psychic!"

Before the penguin was able to form its attack, it was surrounded by a bright pink light and rose into the air, flailing its arms wildly.

 _'Now, Focus Punch!'_ As a blue aura surrounded the Psychic type's fist, Piplup was being pulled in closer by the Psychic attack. It struggled, to no avail.

"Piplup, use Bubblebeam!"

When it was mere feet away from its opponent, the Water Pokemon took a deep breath and let out a thin, powerful stream of bubbles, connecting directly with Alakazam's face.

More out of shock than actual pain, the Psi Pokemon lost its concentration, dropping Piplup, and the Focus Punch fizzled and sputtered out.

Piplup landed unsteadily on its webbed feet and stumbled backwards.

"Impressive," Anabel commented, giving Dawn a sincere smile, "But impressive doesn't win battles." _'Psybeam!'_

Crossing the spoons in its hands, a multicolored flash of light spiraled outward from Alakazam's form and made a direct hit on Piplup's chest, knocking it out.

"Piplup, you did a good job. Return."

"I'm next!" May called out, stepping into the challenger's box, "Blaziken! Take the stage!"

"Go, my friend, Metagross!"

With the exception of Ash, who had a smirk on his face, all of the spectators gasped in shock.

"Metagross?!"

"Is she crazy!"

"That's the worst type matchup she could do!"

"Actually, it's pretty clever," Professor Oak chimed.

"But, Professor, Metagross is a Steel type, and it's weak against Blaziken's fire attacks."

"Don't forget, Max. Blaziken is also a Fighting type, which is weak against Metagross' psychic abilities. It seems as though their strengths counteract their weaknesses."

Ash just crossed his arms smugly and watched.

May looked at her skeptically, "Are you sure you want to go with Metagross."

"I never make a decision I can't stand behind one-hundred percent. Right, Ash?"

Ash blushed.

Anabel grinned, _'Meteor Mash!'_

Before Blaziken could counter, one of Metagross' hands, surrounded by a golden light, smashed into its chest, sending it reeling back.

Dawn gasped, "She didn't even call out the attack!"

 _'Again!'_

The fire type barely had time to dodge the second attack. As it jumped out of the way, Metagross grazed its leg with another Meteor Mash. Blaziken landed on the ground with a soft thump. After a moment, it reached down and clutched its injured knee.

"Blaziken, are you okay?" The Blaze Pokemon stood tall and nodded an affirmative to its trainer, "Okay, use Fire Spin!"

It opened its maw wide, and a flaming tornado erupted from its mouth.

Unable to dodge, Anabel made a split-second decision, _'Light Screen!'_

Metagross was surrounded by a bright white light just as the fire attack hit. Instead of enveloping the Iron Leg Pokemon in flames, the attack bounced back towards Blaziken.

"Huh?"

The Fire and Fighting type dispelled the oncoming Fire Spin with a quick Blaze Kick, causing a beautiful flurry of embers to cover the sky.

 _'Good job. Now, Hyper Beam!'_ A golden orb of energy formed in front of the Steel-type's mouth. The ball of light grew larger with each passing second, until it was at least foot in diameter. After a few more moments, Metagross released the Hyper Beam.

Following its instinct, Blaziken retaliated with a Flamethrower before May could give the command. The two attacks met in a massive explosion at center field.

When the dust settled, both Pokemon seem a little sapped for energy. Blaziken was panting heavier and Metagross floated lower to the ground than usual.

The fire type took advantage of its opponent's fatigue and moved in for a close range attack.

"Blaziken, Metagross can't attack right now! Use your Flamethrower again!"

 _'Oh, really? Metagross, Meteor Mash!'_

May's Pokemon was a only a foot away when Metagross' arm began to glow a bright gold.

-too close to dodge it. Blaziken got clocked in the side, sending it flying toward the spectators.

Thankfully it twisted in midair and dug its heels into the dirt, slowing its momentum, and stopped a few yards away.

It stood tall for a moment, gasping for air. Suddenly it dropped to one knee, using a claw to steady itself.

"Blaziken! Are you okay?"

Before Blaziken could answer, it fell forward, unconscious.

Both trainers returned their respective Pokemon.

"That was a good match. Your Blaziken is really strong."

"Thanks."

Misty stepped forward, taking the brunette's place, "My turn." A devilish smirk twisted her lips, "You may have defeated my teammates, but not me. As coordinators, they spend time training their Pokemon for appeals as well as battling. I, however, am a Gym Leader. I spend all of my time training for battles."

Anabel matched Misty's smile with one of her own, "As a Frontier Brain, I do the same thing. We'll see who beats whom. Go, my friend!" Her final Pokeball opened, revealing her partner, Espeon.

The Sun Pokemon yawned, and the three girls cooed involuntarily. Anabel laughed and scratched the back of her head, "Sorry, Espeon must still be a little tired from our battle this morning."

The redhead tilted her head to the side, "Are you sure it's ready to battle?"

In response, Espeon shook its head and tensed, ready to fight.

Anabel grinned, "Does that answer your question?"

Misty laughed, "Guess so." She threw out her own Pokeball, "Go, Staryu!"

"Espeon! Let's go!" _'Agility!'_

"Staryu! Water Gun!" The star-shaped Pokemon let loose a harsh stream of water from its top point and hit-

-thin air.

The psychic type was gone in a blur of purple fur.

"Staryu, its behind you! Water Gun!"

Staryu spun around quickly and attacked, and missed again, by mere inches this time.

"Okay, Staryu," Misty thought for a moment, "Rapid Spin, and then Bubblebeam!" The starfish Pokemon started twirling around in a tight circle as it released orange bubbles from its glowing jeweled center.

There was a loud splash. Espeon was stopped in its tracks, soaking wet. It stood up and shook itself dry.

"Now, Tackle!"

 _'Okay, Espeon, dodge it with a Quick Attack!'_

The Sun Pokemon was gone in a flash of white light, making Staryu's attack miss for a second time.

Misty took a deep, calming breath.

"Swift!" A flurry of bright, white stars erupted from the jewel on Staryu's body and flew towards its opponent.

 _'Agility!'_

Even though it nearly doubled the speed of its Quick Attack, Espeon was bowled over by Staryu's attack, causing it to yelp in pain and skid across the dirt.

"Espeon, are you okay?" Anabel yelled, concerned. It took a moment for Espeon to stand, but it nodded once. Anabel let out a sigh of relief.

 _'Good job, now use Psychic!'_ Espeon's eyes began to glow a bright blue.

"Dodge it, Staryu!" But Misty's command came too late. Staryu was suddenly engulfed in the same light as it was levitated off the ground.

 _'Zap Cannon!'_

Before anyone could blink, the gem on Espeon's forehead shimmered with green energy.

Realization dawned on the water Pokemon trainer, "No!"

The Sun Pokemon quickly shot out a ball of chartreuse electrical energy, aimed straight for the Star Shape Pokemon, landing a direct hit.

There was a massive explosion, dust and debris flying in every direction. When the field was clear, Staryu was laying on the ground, its jewel flickering in the setting sun's rays. A few feet away, Espeon stood proudly, albeit panting heavily.

The redhead raced out to her defeated Pokemon, kneeling next to it.

"You did a great job, Staryu. I'm proud of you."

Anabel also walked out onto the field, gave her lilac colored Pokemon a scratch behind the ear, and continued towards Misty. Her Eeveelution followed closely behind. May and Dawn met them at the center of the battleground.

The Frontier Brain held out her hand, helping Misty up. All four girls smiled.

The brunette spoke first, "That was incredible. You've gotten a lot stronger since the last time we met."

Anabel grinned, "It's all the training I've been doing with Ash." Said birthday boy strode up to them proudly and she took his hand in hers, squeezing gently.

Ash blushed.

"You two really compliment each other well." Ash's three former traveling companions glanced at one another and nodded.

"We approve," they said in unison.

Ash grumbled under his breath. Something along the lines of, "Too overprotective...I can take care of myself...nosy girls..."

Anabel narrowed her eyes playfully and grabbed the front of his jacket again, "What was that, Darling?" she joked, making him stutter incoherently, before kissing him chastely on the lips.

Misty, May, and Dawn smirked.

"Well, at least we know she can keep him in his place." They all laughed.

Ash pulled Anabel aside and sat her down next to him at the present table.

"Anabel, I have a surprise for you."

The lilac haired girl looked at him in confusion, "A surprise for me? On your birthday?"

Ash scratched the back of his head, abashedly. Pikachu jumped into his lap.

"I was going to tell you on our next date, but I can't wait that long," he took a long, deep breath, "I've decided to become a Frontier Brain."

There was a shocked silence...

"WHAT?!"

All of Ash's guests raced over to find out what the commotion was all about.

"Are you serious?" she gaped. Before her boyfriend could answer, Scott, who had managed to sneak up behind them at some point, jumped in.

"That's right. Ash and I already discussed it. You're looking at the Battle Frontier's newest Brain, Stadium Champion Ash."

There was a collective gasp from the group.

"But, what about your dream, Ash?" Misty asked, "What about becoming a Pokemon Master?"

Ash grinned, "Oh, I'm still going to become the greatest trainer ever."

Scott stepped forward and crossed his arms.

"Scott and I talked about it. If Brandon's Battle Pyramid can move, why can't I? If Pidgeot comes with me, it can fly me back to my Battle Stadium when I get a challenger. Other than that, I can keep traveling on my journey."

He sidled closer to Anabel and whispered in her ear, "Plus, the Battle Stadium is being built a few miles away from the Battle Tower." He kissed her cheek.

"Really?"

"Pika!" Pikachu answered for its trainer.

The Electric Mouse Pokemon hopped onto Ash's hat before it was crushed between Ash and Anabel.

"Well, we have to keep up our training, right?" The couple laughed. Ash gave her another peck on the lips.

"Best. Birthday. Ever."

* * *

Yup. ABILITYSHIPPING! Were you shocked? I made sure not to mention Anabel in the summary/opening. I thought it would be a good plot twist.

I know the battles aren't very detailed, I was just drawing blanks while writing them.

I'm going to start posting some more stuff related to stories I've already started as soon as I can, but new plot bunnies keep attacking me.

Bye for now.

*SB*


End file.
